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Portuguese Man o'War

The Portuguese man o’ war is a highly venomous ocean dweller that resembles a jellyfish but is actually a siphonophore. A siphonophore is not a single animal but a complex colony of individual organisms working together to survive. In this case, the man o’ war is made up of an inflated bell that allows it to float along the sea’s surface, long tentacles covered in stinging cells, a digestive system, and a simple reproductive system. The entire Portuguese man o’ war takes on a bluish-purple hue, keeping it well camouflaged while at sea.

Divesites
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© Alamy-Stephen Frink Collection

Dive sites with this animal

Force-E, 33404 Riviera Beach

Blue Heron Bridge at Phil Foster Park (★4.3)

One of the most popular dive sites in South Florida, Blue Heron Bridge is an easily accessible shore dive sitting just under the Blue Heron Bridge in Riviera Beach. SPECIAL NOTE: check the tide schedule as this dive can only be made during slack tide otherwise currents will be too strong through the bay.